Darling readers,

As you know, in New Orleans you don't have to be Irish or Italian to enjoy all the festivities associated with St Patrick's or St. Joseph's days.  Luckily for us, Mother Nature blessed us with glorious weather to make our parades’ attendance more rewarding.

Every year I look forward to donning my beautiful big green chapeau and decorating my darling dog, Tito, with gather belts on his collar, as well as green beads, and attending the festive St. Patrick’s Day parade in the Irish Channel. We were very lucky to be invited to a beautiful party hosted by Lou Volz and Frank Cole at their St. Andrews Street antique-filled property. I always salivate with anticipation their spicy gumbo, boiled crawfish, green beer and Margaritas. 

I always see so many familiar faces at their exquisite, lush, outdoor garden. It is a nice way to start the day. We proceeded to the parade which was just delightful. I took a lot of photos of all my friends but, unfortunately, when I got home I realized that my Canon camera was gone.  My handbag was full of cabbages, onions, carrots and lots of beads but no camera. I am heartbroken since I already had misplaced it once before. I keep hoping that some one will turn it in since it has my picture in many of the photos in the memory card.

Losing my camera depressed me so much that I did not attend the very anticipated performance of Tommy Tune with  Jason Graae, Liz Calloway and Alex Rybeck, starring in From Broadway with Love at Le Chat Noir. I was invited to the party afterward at Patrick Lee's home. I heard they raised a lot of money for the CAC Performing Artist's Fund, 

Since Katrina, my camera has been like my right hand. The next morning I rushed to Office Depot and bought another one so I could continue living and documenting all the social activities that I manage to attend in post-Katrina New Orleans. Sunday was another beautiful day so I headed to the New Orleans Museum of Art where the wonderful exhibit “Femme, Femme, Femme” is taking place. On Sunday, theNew Leviathan Oriental Foxtrot Orchestra was performing in the auditorium to a sold-out audience. I was pressed for time so I didn't stay long. I needed to be at the Renaissance Hotel for the every interesting orientation of the tragic opera Lucia di Lammermoor. The well-attended lecture hosted by Dr. E. Quinn Peeper was fascinating. I learned so much about the bel canto operatic technique that was widely used from 1810 to 1848. The opera will be presented Friday and Saturday at Tulane University, McAlister Auditorium at 8 p.m.On opening night there will be a kilt-friendly leg contest at 6:30 p.m. and a talk on the staging of opera productions by Jack Belson at 7 p.m. For reservation call 523-3000 or visit www.neworleansopera.org

Darling friends, last week it was confirmed that it is all over for the historic Fairmont Hotel. The last Fairmont hotel employees were given their pink slips and their final checks. I arrived in New Orleans in 1978, and the Fairmont immediately became one of my favorite hangouts. Where else can you get top entertainment like we had at the Blue Room? Or caviar or late supper at the Sazerac Restaurant? Or walk through the simulated “snow tunnel” in the lobby during the Christmas holiday season? I loved the bar at the Sazerac. One of my favorite birthday parties was hosted there. For years the hotel recreated “storming the Sazerac.” That is when the women were first admitted to the bar. We had so many memories of great celebrations including birthdays, the many balls at the numerous ballrooms, etc.

In commemoration of the closing of one of New Orleans’ most beloved icons, there was a very nice party last Friday at the Roosevelt Hotel Bar, 116 University Place, right next to the Fairmont, hosted by Maison Pierre Lafitte. I found out too late to attend the party but I am sure it was a lot of fun, as well as nostalgic. 

Well, I am not going to allow sad memories like losing my camera or the closing the Fairmont stand in my way. This week is going to be full of fun events that I am going to try to attend. Once again I wish I had a clone so I could send one to the wonderful Save Our Cemeteries Public Lecture Series Lectures titled "Canal Street, New Orleans’ Great Wide Way." Peggy Scott Laborde and John Magill, the authors of the Canal Street book, will discuss the history of Canal Street at an SOC  lecture  on Wednesday, March 21, at 6:00 p.m. at the Historic New Orleans Collection,  533 Royal Street.  This is the first lecture in the 2007 Save Our Cemeteries Public Lecture Series. The lecture is free to Save Our Cemeteries members and $5.00 for non-members.  Following the lecture, there will be a four-course dinner at The Palace Café, 605 Canal St.

The other party that I do not want to miss and would like to send a clone to is the big gala in honor New Orleans's native Bennett Josh Davlin for the opening of his movie Memories at the Canal Place Landmark Cinema. The movie has been adapted from Davlin's book and it is a debut psychological thriller of one's man journey though the memories of a killer.

The Windsor Court will be sponsoring a Black-Tie "Gala Dinner With the Stars" in honor of the premiere of Memories. The dinner will benefit the New Orleans Center for the Creative Arts (NOCCA). Patrons paying $50 will be treated to a pre-screening party at Canal Place Landmark Cinema. Patrons paying $500 will be transported from the Windsor Court to the party and screening and back to the Windsor Court for a private, black-tie dinner with the creator and select stars of the film which include Ann-Margret, Dennis Hopper, Billy Zane and Director/Writer Davlin. Not to missed! For more information and tickets call NOCCA at 504-940-2900 or www.nocca.com .

On a sad note, we are mourning the death of Robert John (“Bobby”) Monroe, who bankrolled the movie as the Executive Producer of Memories. Bobby was the director of the J. Edgar Monroe Foundation for 15 years. During that time he gave away million of dollars to arts organizations and other charitable causes. Bobby was always a welcome figure at fundraisers and benefits since he enjoyed being the high bidder. We will miss him!

Talking about movies, the New Orleans Film Society and the Consulat General de France a la Nouvelle -Orleans is presenting a FRENCH FESTIVAL 2007 at the Prytania Theatre, March 23-25. Check my schedule to see the films and the time that will be presented.

The Tenth Annual "Bach Around the Clock" Festival will be taking place at Trinity Episcopal Church, 1329 Jackson Avenue, starting this Friday, March 23 at 7 p.m. and ending on Saturday March 24 at midnight. Twenty-nine hours of music, dance, yoga, theatre, poetry and more! Hundreds of performers. Coffee, refreshments and police security provided. Come and go as you wish. Sleeping bags welcomed on Friday night. Handicap access and elevator available and everything is FREE!

On Friday, March 23, at 8 p.m., the CAC and National Performance Network present MARCIA MILHARES and Compania de Danca of Brazil at the Contemporary Art Center, 900 Camp Street. Award Winning Rio de Janeiro-based choreographer Marcia Milhazes presents the New Orleans premiere of her latest work, inspired by Brazil, nature and Milhazes ' fascination with waltzes -all set with internationally-renowed visual artist Beatriz Milhazes' colorful stage design.  

On Saturday, The New Orleans Spring Fiesta Association hold its annual two weekend event featuring brunches, home tours, walking tours of the French Quarter, Uptown and Garden District and more. For additional details visit. www.springfiesta.com For tickets, call 581-1367. Saturday-Sunday March 24-25 and Friday and Sunday March 30-April 1.

Oak Alley Plantation Spring Arts & Craft Festival is taking place this weekend March 24-25)  at Oak Alley, Vacherie(800) 442-5539; www.OakalleyPlantation.com and Los Islenos Fiesta will be taking place in St. Bernad(278-4242)  Not to be missed!

I would like to congratulate the bilingual N.O.Sotros Magazine who is going to be celebrating the re-launch of the magazine this Saturday, March 24 at its Renaissance Ball at the Doubletree Hotel. 15 Latino Community activists will be accepting an award that was supposed to be presented before Katrina.  The MC for the event will be Sandra Gonzales of Fox 8 News.  Live Band, Dinner Buffet, Open Bar and a night full of surprises. To reserve tickets call 488-8202. I  won't want to miss it!

For your calendar, in conjunction with the exhibition “What's Cooking in New Orleans? Culinary Traditions of the Crescent City,” The Historic New Orleans Collection is launching a weekly series of free lectures beginning Wednesday, March 28. Each lecture begins at 6:30 p.m. and will be held at The Collection, 533 Royal Street. Speakers will cover a range of topics.

Times-Picayune columnist and author, Lolis Eric Elie, will open the series with a look at Southern and New Orleans cuisines on Wednesday, March 28. Elie, whose column appears in the T-P three days each week, will explore how Southern food is not one cuisine, but several. His lecture, “South of South: Creole Cooking and the Cuisines of the South,” looks at the ways in which New Orleans cuisine is closely related to the disparate tastes of Southern cooking but in other ways is a distant relative.

March 28 also marks the beginning of Tennessee Williams Literary Festival. "Coming of Age from Page to Stage: Tennessee Williams/New Orleans Literary Festival will celebrate its 21st anniversary from March 28-April 1. The five-day fête, which celebrates the life and cultural legacy of the eponymous playwright in his adopted city that he called his “spiritual home,” offers two days of master classes, a roster of panel discussions and celebrity interviews, theater, food and music events, a scholars' conference, literary and other French Quarter walking tours and a book fair. Bookending the event are an opening night fundraising gala and the closing ceremony -- a Stanley and Stella Shouting Contest, in playful homage to the bellowing mates in Williams' masterpiece. The lofty list of participants includes Pulitzer Prize winners Richard Ford and Yusef Komunyakaa; best-selling authors Douglas Brinkley, Barry Gifford, Haven Kimmel, Michael Lewis, Sharyn McCrumb, Tom Sancton, Margaret Sartor and Calvin Trillin; and filmmaker/artist John Waters, who wrote the introduction to a new edition of Tennessee Williams' Memoirs, published by New Directions.

Another party that you do not want to miss is the Blue Party for Marva Wright on March 30, from 9 p.m.-1 a.m. at the Ritz Carlton.  Marva will be singing and many of her big time New Orleans musician friends will be attending. The theme will be a blues theme, so everyone will wear something blue to the party. Everything will be blue -- the decorations, the clothes, the lights, and even her very own drink, the “Marvatini” will be blue! So "Do the Wright Thing" and be there for the blue soiree.

Marva also started to perform every Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 6 p.m.- 9 p.m. in On Trois (also on the third floor) except for a few days that she already had previously committed to. The entertainment is heating up with New Orleans’ very own Blues Queen singing, followed by Jeremy Davenport playing in Melange from 9 p.m. - 2 p.m.
 

It is not too early to start thinking about the Easter Parade since, according to my friend Maryflynn Thomas, there are only a few carriages left for the St. Charles Avenue's Easter Parade on Easter Sunday, April 8. I got an email from Linda and Tom Maher, who are now living in Mexico, telling me that they will be coming back to NOLA to see their family and old friends and to ride in the St. Charles Avenue Easter Parade.  This year it will begin at the Pontchartrain Hotel at 12:30 p.m., ride up the Avenue and then return to the Cricket Club (the old Red Room or the Eiffel Tower Restaurant). There they will have dinner and dance to a very nice band who will provide the entertainment. Please call 453-5553 or the web site www.easterontheavenue.com for any info. 

French Quarter Festival  will be taking place April 13-16. Enjoy 250 hours of free entertainment featuring more than 150 musical performances on fifteen stages throughout the French Quarter over a three-day weekend. Nearly 60 food and beverage booths located in Jackson Square, Woldenberg Riverfront Park, and the U.S. Mint will make up the "World's Largest Jazz Brunch," a signature event, featuring authentic local cuisine from renowned area restaurants.  One of my favorite events will take place on Thursday, April 12 from 7-10 p.m. French Quarter Festival begins every year with a great party that sets the tone for the entire weekend. T.G.I.F (Thanks Goodness It's Festival) Fundraiser takes place every year at Jimmy's Buffet's Margaritaville, 1104 Decatur Street, with great food, and Deacon John & The Ivories providing the entertainment. I think it is one of the best bargains around, since it is only $50 per person advance purchase or $60 a the door. For reservations call 522-5730 or visit www.fqfi.org

I do not want to end my column without reminding you that this is the last week to see " ANNE FRANK: A HISTORY FOR TODAY"  at the National World War Museum  and March 23 at 5 p.m. is the dateline for bartenders and mixologist to submit their  recipes for the Tales of the Cocktail's competion.

A sponsor of the 2007 Tales of the Cocktail Competition, Moet & Chandon White Star Champagne, is the main ingredient for the official cocktail. The official cocktail will be featured and served throughout the Tales of the Cocktail event, July 18-22, and on the website.  For more information about the competition, please contact Ann Rogers at 504-343-4285 or ann@talesofthecocktail.com. Interested participants can download the entry form at www.TalesoftheCocktail.com.

Have a great week.and do not forget to check my photoshow- without the St Patrick's Day photos. http://www.photoshow.net/watch/st6dc8dk 

http://www.photoshow.net/watch/Uy9PR9Yx

Margarita

ON GOING EXHIBITIONS:

Anne Frank: A History for Today. the National Museum of World War II.945 Magazine St., 527-6012;www.nationalww2museum.org -. The bilingual exhibition focuses on the history of World War I and II, the rise of the Nazi party, and the life of a family caught in the middle. Photos from the Frank family's private collection paint a picture of life before the dark days of Nazi persecution. Historic images and personal testimonies echo the nightmare that the family would later endure. The exhibition encourages visitors to learn more about scapegoating, racism, Anti-Semitism, ethnic cleansing, and other issues of tolerance that still plague the world today. This will  be the only presentation of this exhibition in the Gulf South. Until March 25.New

The New Orleans Arts and Crafts Club: An Artistic Legacy.THNOC and NOMA Open Joint Exhibition. New Orleans Museum of Art.1 Collins C. Diboll Circle, City.   Park

 The exhibition includes paintings, watercolors, sculpture, ceramics, prints, and drawings by more than forty artists, including Josephine Crawford, Leonard Flettrich, Weeks Hall, Knute Heldner, Morris Henry Hobbs, Clarence Millet, Paul Ninas, William P. Spratling, Helen Turner, and Daniel Webster Whitney. The New Orleans Arts and Crafts Club: An Artistic Legacy, presented as part of a new partnership between The Historic New Orleans Collection and the New Orleans Museum of Art, is free to Louisiana residents. For regular admission prices, visit www.noma.org. For more information, visit www.hnoc.org.Until–May 31, 2007.Wednesday–Sunday, 10:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m.

EXHIBITION OF THE VATICAN MOSAIC STUDIO. An Evolution of the Human Spirit as Seen Through Mosaic Art.
An Evolution of the Human Spirit as Seen Through Mosaic Art. Old Ursuline Convent, oldest building in the Mississippi Valley, 1100 Chartres St., New Orleans.
The exhibit is composed of  37 mosaic artworks from the Vatican Mosaic Studio  (replications of prominent artwork dating back to the 16th Century through the 21st Century). The Vatican Mosaic Studio was organized nearly 300 years ago to reproduce the  deteriorating oil paintings of St. Peter’s Basilica as intricate glass mosaics. The exhibition includes reproductions of the art of Monet, Van Gogh, Rouault, Chagall and Rembrandt.  
Hours of Operation:  9 – 5 PM; last tour starting at 4 PM, closed on Monday. Through June 1, 2007. 

Four Hundred Years of French Presence in Louisiana: Treasures from the National Library of France  533 Royal Street. The exhibit is presented as a gift to the people of New Orleans in affirmation of France’s commitment to the preservation of New Orleans culture in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.  It is on display through June 2, 2007. Free and open to the public, Tuesday–Saturday, 9:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.The first exhibition to focus exclusively on the National Library’s extensive collections relating to Louisiana, Four Hundred Years of French Presence in Louisiana explores the strong cultural ties between France and its former colony, from the 17th through the 20th century.  Opening with the era of exploration, Four Hundred Years of French Presence in 

 Four Hundred Years of French Presence in Louisiana also showcases another gift from the Minister of Culture and Communication of France—a model of the 1915 French Quarter by French engineers Pierre Atlan and Pierre Merlin.  On display in The Louisiana Supreme Court Museum, 400 Royal Street, the model was presented to The Historic New Orleans Collection for the benefit of the people of New Orleans. 

JOSE MARIA CUNDIN'S RETROSPECTIVE SHOW. Gallerie Bienvenu, 518 Julia Street.   Jose Maria Cundin is having a retrospective show : "40 Years Wandering Through the Desert " is the title of his retrospective exhibition that includes examples of the diminutive groteques that populated the artist's canvases for the first thirty years of his careers and the luminous abstractions which he has devoted himself since 1990. 

Facets of the Feminine Mind works by 5 N.O. women, in celebration of Women's History Month.The Big Top Gallery,1638 Clio Street, 504.569.2700
Featured artists: Patricia "Muffin" Sills, Karen Louise Crain , MJ Robitaille,  Morgana King & Bonita . On view in gallery through March 31


"ShoeStories" by Claudia Lynch.George Long Gallery, 4516 Magazine Street,899-2975.
"Lynch, an illustrator, prospects the dames of the 1940's.  She paints detailed watercolors of stilettos fashioned out of uber-feminine  objects like candy boxes, then pairs them with short narratives typed  on an old portable.  Her text reads like an excerpt from pulp fiction  or Casablanca dialogue." - Eleanor LeBeau, Scene Magazine . Hours: 11am - 3pm or by appointment.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 21

Save Our Cemeteries Lecture Series featuring Peggy Scott Laborde and John Magill, authors of "Canal Street, New Orleans' Great Wide Way" Historic New Orleans Collection,533 Royal St. Peggy Laborde and John Magill discuss the history of Canal Street, 6pm,followed by a dinner at Palace Cafe, 606 Canal Street at 7:30 pm.The lecture is $5, free for SOC members. Dinner is $45, reservations necessary.Call 525-3377 for reservations.

WOMEN & WINE WEDNESDAYS. La Cote Brasserie, 700 Tchoupitoulas St., 613-2350. Women & Wine hosts a networking event for women. 5:30 to 7p.m.

 OPENING RECEPTION /PREMIERE :Memories . Canal Place Landmark Cinema. The movie has been adapted from Davlin's book and it is a debut psychological thriller of one's man journey though the memories of a killer.The Windsor Court will be sponsoring a Black-Tie "Gala Dinner With the Stars" in honor of the premiere of Memories. The dinner will benefit the New Orleans Center for the Creative Arts (NOCCA). Patrons paying $50 will be treated to a pre-screening party at Canal Place Landmark Cinema. Patrons paying $500 will be transported from the Windsor Court to the party and screening and back to the Windsor Court for a private, black-tie dinner with the creator and select stars of the film which include Ann-Margret, Dennis Hopper, Billy Zane and Director/Writer Davlin. Not to missed! For more information and tickets call NOCCA at 504-940-2900 or www.nocca.com .

"Linda Mintz Presents Tennessee's Women"A Dramatic Reading

East Bank Regional Library, 4747 West Napoleon Ave., Metairie
Free and open to the public; no registration required. 7p.m.
Local stage actress Linda Mintz will present a dramatic reading and  psychological interpretation of four "wounded women" from Tennessee  Williams plays.  Her portrayal and examination of Tennessee's women  will include Amanda Wingfield in THE GLASS MANAGERIE, Blanche Dubois  in A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE, Alma Winemiller in SUMMER AND SMOKE, and  Hanna Jelks in THE NIGHT OF THE IGUANA.
A question and answer session will follow the presentation.  The program is free and open to the public, and registration is not  required.

 NOCHE LATINA : Vivaz!   7pm to 10pm @ THe Ice Bar (Harrahs Casino) it's Fun!!! NO COVER CHARGE.

CONCERT AND JAM SESSIONS BY MUSICIANS FOR MUSICIANS
Free live music featuring:VAVAVOOM,St. Anna's Episcopal Church
1313 Esplanade Avenue,(Between N. Rampart & N. Claiborne)in the Old Parish Building,7pm-9pm

JAZZ CLUB 528 presents: GEORGE FRENCH. 8 P.M.528 Fulton Street, 533-6117

IRVIN MAYFIELD. Snug Harbor ,626 Frenchmen St, 8pm & 10pm
Admission.For reservations, please call 504-949-0696

THURSDAY,MARCH 22

Ogden After Hours  presents:JEFF & VIDA.6:00 pm - 8:00 pm.Lobby Atrium of The Ogden Museum of Southern Art's Stephen Goldring Hall.
The Jeff and Vida Band is one of New Orleans best known acoustic roots act. Performing original material spanning from Appalachian bluegrass to alternative country. Their live performances showcase Vidas powerful voice, Jeffs superb picking on mandolin, guitar and banjo, Mike Kerwins slap-you-in-the-face bass playing and tight well arranged harmonies. With ballads that sound like they could have been written fifty years ago and raucous barnstorming numbers that keep your feet tapping their live showsare exciting and unique, full of humor, good music and unforgettable songs.


RISING WATER. Southern Rep Theatre, The Shops at Canal Place, 333 Canal Place, third floor, 522-6545; www.southernrep.com- Southern Rep Theatre presents the world premiere of John Biguenet's play " Rising Water"  about a couple who awakens in the middle of the night to find their pitch-dark house filling with water.  Clambering into their attic, cluttered with a lifetime of possessions, they grapple not only with their terror at the rising water but also with the life they have lived together.  When the water finally laps at the attic itself, they claw a hole in the roof to escape.  But only one of them is slender enough to squeeze through.  Caught between an attic of ghost stories and a rooftop that reveals a New Orleans utterly transformed into a sea of sunken houses, the man and woman struggle to keep the guttering flame of their love from being extinguished by a flood of secrets and feelings never before confessed as they wait for help to arrive.Ryann Rilette directs Christine NcMurdo-Walace and Danny Bowen. Thursday-$20 general admission, $16 student/seniors. Friday-Sunday tickets $24general admission, $20 students/seniors. 8p.m. Thursday-Saturday, 3p.m. Sunday, through April 8

Parkway Bakery & Tavern presents: BODESATTVA CD RELEASE PARTY .532 Hagan Ave,504) 482-3047.Free Live Music. 7-10pm



Zydeco Night with Chris Ardoin,Mid City “Rock n’ Bowl”,4133 S. Carrollton Ave
New Orleans.8:30 p.m., $ 8.

ARMAND ST. MARTIN with his band,The Ritz French Quarter Bar ,every Thursday 9 pm - 1 am,Ritz Carlton Hotel,Canal St

BADAL ROY & AMIT CHATTALJEE. Snug Harbor ,626 Frenchmen St, New Orleans,8pm & 10pm
Admission: 504-669-4744.For reservations, please call 504-949-0696


PAUL SANCHEZ d.b.a New Orleans,618 Frenchmen St, 10 P.M.



The Soul Rebels-Le Bon Temps Roule,4801 Magazine St.504-897-9448 10 p.m.




Donna’s Bar & Grill presents: Donna’s Traditional Jazz Band. 800 N. Rampart    New Orleans




Folk Rock Trio - with Jonathan Freilich, Joe Cabral,  Alex McMurray and Doug Garrison.Every Thursday AT10:00 pm,Chickie Wah Wah,2828 Canal Street • New Orleans,(504) 304-4714,Average Admission: $5

Thursday, March 22nd, 29th, 2007

Ed Barrett,Rotolo’s Pizza,201 Decatur St., New Orleans. All shows start at 10pm and are no cover.

THURSDAY AT TWILIGHT presents: Pianist Philip Melancon.Pavillion of Two Sisters, New Orleans Botanical Garden, City Park.Gates open at 5p.m. Musical Performance at 6 p.m.

 HATS, THE MUSICAL . Harrah's Hats!, the musical is based on a woman approaching her 50^th birthday who meets a group of women who are members of the Red Hat Society, a real-life organization of women over 50 who come together to celebrate womanhood. The play not only appeals to women over 50, but their daughters and sisters, husbands and sons. HARRAH’S NEW ORLEANS’ PRODUCTION OF HATS!  Performances are Thursday and Friday at 7:00 p.m., Saturday at 2:00 and 7:00 p.m. and Sunday at 2:00 and 5:00 p.m. Tickets start at $39.00 and can be reserved by calling 504-593-8008 or visiting www.harrahs.com/hats.   
 

Preservation Hall
726 St. Peter Street.Doors Open @ 8:00 .Show Starts @ 8:15 ,Admission: $8.00

 HARRAH'S CASINO PRESENTS at MASQUERADE:  Martini Happy Hour: BIG EASY GROOVERS 5 to 7 p.m.; THE WISEGUYS. 7 TO 10 P.M.

JAZZ CLUB 528  Presents JOHN ROYAN(Solo Piano)  5:30 to 7:30 p.m; GEORGE FRENCH BAND 8 -10 p.m.528 Fulton Street, 533-6117

ARMAND ST.MARTIN. The Library Lounge of the Ritz Carlton Hotel. 5 to 10 p.m. (Thursday and Friday)  Validated parking for customers.ARMAND ST. MARTIN with his band,The Ritz French Quarter Bar every Thursday 9 pm - 1 am.Ritz Carlton Hotel

JEREMY DAVENPORT. Melange, Ritz Carlton Hotel, 921 Canal Street, 524-1331. 9 p.m. Thursday-Saturday.

FRIDAY, MARCH 23

OBITUARY COCKTAIL:Tony Moran's, 236 Bourbon Street. - Phone: 523-4640.    Weekly gathering of locals at legendary saloons of New Orleans. Always from 6 to 7 p.m.

Harrah’s Casino -Masquerade Entertainment Schedule:

At 10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, the dancers will take over where the bands leave off. They will perform nonstop until 2 a.m.!

5 p.m. – 7 p.m. Happy Hour
    small stage in front of the Ultra Lounge :  Mark Braud performs on Fridays.

New Orleans Nite Fridays: REGGIE HALL & the Twighlighters featuring Lady Bee & Robert Julian. 7 p.m. – 10 p.m.

The Tenth Annual "Bach Around the Clock" Festival will be taking place at Trinity Episcopal Church, 1329 Jackson Avenue, starting this Friday, March 23 at 7pm and ending on Saturday March 24 at midnight. Twenty-nine hours of music, dance, yoga, theatre, poetry and more! Hundreds of performers. Coffee, refreshments and police security provided. Come and go as you wish. Sleeping bags welcomed on Friday night. Handicap access and elevator available and everything is FREE!

JAZZ CLUB 528  Presents:  FRED SANDERS(Solo Piano) 7-9 p.m. ELVA DEVECA AND HER BAND, 9:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.,528 Fulton Street, 533-6117

Parkway Bakery & Tavern presents: JUMPIN' JOHNNY SANSONE.  
532 Hagan Ave,504) 482-3047.Free Live Music. 7-10pm


Yeah Yeah, Yeah! JEFFERSON PERFORMING ARTS CENTER,Located at 400 Phlox Street, Metairie,A World Premier Concert Celebration Performed by Pre-Fab 4.
Featuring the stars of The Buddy Holly Story. Come together as four lads from across the US rekindle the spirit of yesterday through the music of the world's most popular band. Not impersonators, PreFab 4 brings their own brand of musicianship and humor to the JPAS stage as they take you on a magical, musical tour through the career of Liverpool's favorite sons, from their earliest performance on Ed Sullivan to their later solo projects. With a little help from some friendly string and horn players and state-of-the-art lighting and sound, we've got a feelin' PreFab 4 will have you twisting and shouting in the aisles and singing every word to the songs you know and love. Shaped by requests and personal memories shared by audience members, the show will change nightly to provide a once in a lifetime experience you will never forget.
Yeah, Yeah, Yeah! & PreFab 4 are not endorsed by, or affiliated with, The Beatles or Apple Corps Ltd. However, the mothers of everyone involved still strongly encourage you to attend.
Performance Dates: 23-25, 2007.

SUZAUNE YEE McKAMEY.On Troi Lounge, Ritz Carlton Hotel.5:30 to 9 p.m. talented Suzaune will be "Putting On the Ritz" in her first performance at ON Trois.

MARCIA MILHARES and Compania de Danca of Brazil . Contemporary Art Center, 900 Camp Street. Award Winning Rio de Janeiro-based choreographer Marcia Milhazes presents the New Orleans premiere of her latest work, inspired by Brazil, nature and Milhazes ' fascination with waltzes -all set with internationally-renowed visual artist Beatriz Milhazes' colorful stage design. Tickets: 528-3800 or visit www.cacno.org

LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR. Tulane's McAlister Auditorium. Donizettiâ's classic tragic opera Lucia Di Lammermoor. is an adaptation of  Sir Water Scott']s novel of feuding Scottish families.  Friday and Saturday, March 23 and 24.  8 p.m.For reservation call 523-3000 or visit www.neworleansopera.org

FRENCH FILM FESTIVAL 2007
Prytania Theatre, March 23-25

DAYS OF GLORY (Indigenes) Friday March 23, 7:30PM
During the Second World War, a group of North African
soldiers joins the French in their fight against the
Nazis. Although they passionately battle to defend the
"fatherland," the soldiers face inequality and daily
humiliation within the French army. Directed by Rachid
Bouchareb,Academy Award nominee 2006, Best Foreign
Language Film.
"..remarkable, powerfully entertaining..." L.A. Times
"A damn good war movie." New York Times
2006, 123 minutes

March Mardi Gras Madness????  And you thought it was over......

The madcap staff of the Royal Street Hotel  via the NORD Crescent City Lights Youth Theater  returns for 6 more performances of "The Dream on Royal Street." The all-teen cast will reprise this Carnvial adaptation ofShakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream" with a clever jazzy musical score by Alan Menken ("The Little Mermaid," "Beauty and the Beast," and "Aladdin").Tickets are $12 .   For tickets contact 598-3800 or log onto www.crescentcitylights.org At the Ty Tracy Theatre, Gallier Hall, 1st floor, 545 St. Charles Ave. Friday,   . Performances continue through  March 25

JEREMY DAVENPORT. Melange, Ritz Carlton Hotel, 921 Canal Street, 524-1331. 9 p.m. Thursday-Saturday

Troi Bechet.Loews New Orleans Hotel,(300 Poydras St.)5:30-8:30pm on Friday and Saturday.
Every weekend in March on Fridays and Saturdays from 5:30-8:30pm

 NOCHE LATINA  con Fredy Omar con su Banda.Ray's Boom Boom Room, 508 Frenchmen Street,every Friday night at 10pm.Free dance lessons at 9pm.10pm, free Latin dance lessons 9pm

BADAL ROY & AMIT CHATTALJEE. Snug Harbor. 626 Frenchmen St, 8 and 10 P.M. 504-669-4744 

HOT CLUB OF NEW ORLEANS. 6 p.m; The New Orleans Night Crawlers Brass Band at 10 p.m.. d.b.a. New Orleans. 618 Frenchmen St. $5 .

SATURDAY,MARCH 24

NEW ORLEANS SPRING FIESTA. The New Orleans Spring Fiesta Association hold its annual two weekend event featuring brunches, home tours, walking tours of the French Quarter, Uptown and Garden District and more. For additional details visit. www.springfiesta.com For tickets, call 581-1367. Saturday-Sunday March 24-25 and Friday and Sunday March 30-April 1.

Oak Alley Plantation Spring Arts & Craft Festival is taking place this weekend March 24-25)  at Oak Alley, Vacherie(800) 442-5539; www.OakalleyPlantation.com 

 Los Islenos Fiesta will be taking place in St. Bernad(278-4242)  Not to be missed!

MAGAZINE STREET FARMERS MARKET. Magazine and Girods Streets;www.marketumbrella.org Crescent City Farmers Market holds its weekly Saturday market. Fresh produce, flowers and food available. 8 a.m. to noon.

GRETNA FARMER'S MARKET.  Huey P. Long Avenue, between 3rd & 4th Street .8:30AM until 12:30p.m.

BYWATER Farmers Market: Saturday 1-4 pm, 3500 St Claude Avenue.Come get fresh food at the Framers Market this Saturday.  Full details of the lineup are available at www.dnmc.org, the market is from 1-4pm on Saturday, St. Claude at Gallier.  Also, the Lower Ninth Ward Farmers Market, Sundays 1-4pm, will be reopening on St. Claude at Lamanche.

LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR. Tulane's McAlister Auditorium. Donizettiâ's classic tragic opera Lucia Di Lammermoor is an adaptation of  Sir Water Scott']s novel of feuding Scottish families. 7 p.m.. For reservation call 523-3000 or visit www.neworleansopera.org

 Renaissance Ball at the Doubletree Hotel. 15 Latino Community activists will be accepting an award that was supposed to be presented before Katrina.  The MC for the event will be Sandra Gonzales of Fox 8 News.  Live Band, Dinner Buffet, Open Bar and a night full of surprises.  To reserve tickets call 488-8202. 



 TENOR SUMMIT Featuring: Daniel "Weenie" Farrow & Stackman.Doors Open @ 8:00
Show Starts @ 8:15.Admission: $8.00.
PRESERVATION HALL,726 ST. PETER St.;www.preservationhall.com
Doors Open @ 8:00/Show Starts @ 8:15.Admission: $8.00.No smoking, drinking, all ages

FRENCH FILM FESTIVAL-PRYTANIA THEATRE

THE EXTERMINATING ANGELS (Les Anges Exterminateurs)
Saturday March 24, 1:30PM
Director Jean-Claude Brisseau creates a tale of a
filmmaker who begins casting his new movie, a thriller
with several explicitly erotic scenes. What starts out
as an exploration into the nature of sex and arousal
turns into a nightmare.
"...infuriating, subtle, self-indulgent, astute and
disingenuous..." TV Guide
  2007, 100 minutes.
Contains Sexually Explicit Scenes. No One Under 18
Admitted.


L.627 Saturday March 24, 3:30PM

From director Bertrand Tavernier comes L.627, a
dazzling, tough-minded look at Parisian vice cops.
This gritty drama shows us the underbelly of the
Parisian drug trade. Lulu is a tough streetwise
narcotics cop who, like a Frank Serpico or a Dirty
Harry Callahan, doesn't play by the rules or kowtow to
his weak and/or corrupt superiors. Despite the
ruthless environment that he lives and works in every
day, Lulu manages somehow to maintain his humanity.
"A breakthrough." The Village Voice
"Fast, funny, dazzling...the real French Connection" -
The Boston Globe
1992, 145 minutes
Director Bertrand Tavernier will be in attendance and
will conduct a Q & A after the screening.

BACCHANAL FREE WINE TASTING:FREE WINE  600 Poland St. in the BywaterGuest Sommelier Mike Procido of Wines Unlimited explores Wines of the Rhone Valley, Noon - 3pm, FREE. Noon - 3pm.Noon - 3pm. Live Jazz music with everybody's favorite band, Double-0-Seven (007) 6pm - 9pm. NO COVER CHARGE

FIESTA BISTRO presents Classical Flamenco guitarist JOHN LAWRENCE. 1506 S. Carrollton,865-1612. Saturday 7 p.m.

OLE MAN RIVER BAND.  Parkway Bakery & Tavern,532 Hagan Ave,(504) 482-3047. 7 TO 10 P.M. 

528 Jazz Club Presents:TOM McDERNOTT  (Solo Piano) 7-9 P.M. INGRID LUCIA BAND 9:30p.m.-1:30 p.m., 533-6117

ELLIS MARSALIS TRIO. Snug Harbor. 626 Frenchmen St, 8 and 10 P.M. 504-669-4744  

Kermit Ruffins & the BBQ Swingers. Rock N Bowl,4133 S. Carrollton Ave,New Orleans.10 p.m. $10.

John Boutte'-7pm, ANDERS OSBORNE 11pm-$10.d.b.a.  New Orleans .618 Frenchmen St, New Orleans

SUNDAY, MARCH 25

SUNDAY BRUNCH WITH HARPIST/PIANIST RACHEL VAN VOORHIES. New Orleans Grill Room of the Windsor Court Hotel. 12 noon-2:30 p.m. No cover charge.website, www.windsorcourthotel.com.  For dining reservations please call (504) 523-6000.

Brazilian Jazz Brunch at The Bank Cafe,2100 Burgundy St. (corner Touro)12 noon to 3pm
New Orleans' newest brunch offering, featuring Ray Moore and Trio de Janeiro
playing bossa nova, samba jazz, and mpb; and $1 caipirinhas served at the vintage 1939 Brunswick art-deco bar...The Bank Cafe is housed in a former bank, dating from the early 20's. Soaring ceilings and large windows produce a well-lit, spacious atmosphere for afternoon dining and conversation. 

CHEF PETE AT BACCHANAL: Oh! Calcutta.  Bachannal, 600 Poland Ave.!From 5 p.m. until food runs out.It's spring - that magical time when every young person's fancy lightly turns to thoughts of...chutney! Yes, chutney, and Chef Pete has plenty of it, along with traditional and not-so-traditional foods from the far corners of exotic India.

TRINITY ARTIST SERIES. Trinity Episcopal Church, 1329 Jackson Avenu, 522-0276;www. trinitynola.com - Trinity Artist Series presents a concert called " Bring Back Broadway" featuring baritone Saul Schneider, soprano Linda Mintz and pianist Albinas Prizgintas.  Free admission. 5 p.m.

FRENCH FILM FESTIVAL.PRYTANIA THEATRE.

ARMY OF SHADOWS (L'Armee des Ombres) Sunday March 25,
1:30PM
Made in 1969 and released in the US for the first time
in 2006, Jean-Pierre Melville's epic masterpiece tells
the riveting tale of a group of Resistance workers in
WWII who go underground in the face of the German
occupation, and find that the price of heroism can be
truly horrific.
"The best foreign film of the year." Roger Ebert,
Chicago Sun Times
"For the first, and maybe the only, time this year,
you are in the hands of a master." The New Yorker

1969, 145 minutes.

SPECIAL GUEST
BERTRAND TAVERNIER is arguably the most important
French filmmaker of his generation. He has directed
over 30 films, and has garnered over 30 award wins and
the same number of nominations for his work, which
includes Let Joy Reign Supreme, Coup de Tourchon,
Mississippi Blues, 'Round Midnight, Life and Nothing
But, and Daddy Nostalgie
L.627, made in 1992, is a compelling documentary-style
film that critics have compared to the best  police
movies of the past, including  The French Connection
and Serpico.
L.627 confirms Tavernier as one of Europe's most
versatile and provocative filmmakers. It gained French
Cesar nominations in the categories of Best Film, Best
Director, Best Screenplay, and Most Promising Actress
(for Charlotte Kady).
M. Tavernier is currently in Louisiana in
pre-production for In the Electric Mist, based on a
James Lee Burke novel, and the New Orleans Film
Society is delighted to welcome him to the 2007 French
Film Festival.

NOCHE LATINA WITH JULIO AND CESAR BAND. Tomatillo's Restaurant,437 Esplanade Ave.(Across the Mint and almost next to Fire Station)6:30 p.m. 

NICKEL A DANCE- presents: LIONEL FERBOS & THE PALM COURT JAZZ BAND.   Cafe Brazil- 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. Free. This will be the last one in the series.

 LINNZI ZAORSKI, 6 P.M.; HONEYDRIPPERS RHYTHMS 7 BLUES BAND- 10 P.M.d.b.a.  New Orleans ,618 Frenchmen St, New Orleans.10 P.M.

JESSE LEWIS QUARTET with JAMES ALSANDERS, 8 &10 Snug Harbor. 626 Frenchmen St, 8 and 10 P.M. 504-669-4744  L

Jonno & KZ

6:30pm – 9:30pm

all shows in cajun creole genre with dancing

Mulate's  New Orleans
201 Julia St.
NSunday , March, 18th, 25th, 2007

Jonno & KZ

6:30pm – 9:30pm

all shows in cajun creole genre with dancing

Mulate's  New Orleans
201 Julia St.
New Orleans, LA   70130
504-522-1492
ew Orleans, LA   70130
504-522-1492

JAZZ CLUB 528 presents AMASA MILLER (Solo Piano) .5:30 -7:30 P.M. LESLIE SMITH & Her Band. .8 P.M. -12 A.M. 528 Fulton Street, 533-6117

Sunday, March  25th, 2007

IN THE SPIRIT PRESENTS:
The Prince of Gospel Lyle Henderson .Doors Open @ 3:00 ,Show Starts @ 3:15,Admission: $8.00
IN THE TRADITION PRESENTS: GLEN DAVID ANDREWS & THE LAZY 6 Doors Open @ 8:00 Show Starts @ 8:15 Admission: $ 8.00
PRESERVATION HALL,726 ST. PETER STREETpreservationhall.com       

THE RITES OF SWING. The Spotted Cat on Frenchmen Street. Every Sunday 4 to 6 p.m.,a six piece string band playing gypsy jazz, swing, and Brazilian music.

MONDAY, MARCH 26

CHARMAINE NEVILLE. Snug Harbor Jazz Bistro, 626 Frenchmen St., 949-0696. 8 & 10 p.m.

Jazz Club 528 presents: JOE KROWN. 9 p.m.

.d.b.a.  New Orleans ,618 Frenchmen St, New Orleans.10 P.M.

DONNA'S BAR AND GRILL presents: THE GEORGE FRENCH BAND featuring GERMAINE  BAZZLE,  ERIC TRAUB,TODD DUKE,featuring special SPECIAL Guest pianist DAVID TORKANOWSKY.Donna's Bar & Grill, 800 N. Rampart Street,504-596-6914; www.donnasbarandgrill.com.8p.m.

TUESDAY, MARCH 26                         

ORGAN AND LABYRINTH MEDITATION HOUR. Trinity Episcopal Church,1329 Jackson Ave., 522-0276. Albinas Prizgintas, with special guest performers, leads an hour of organ music and quiet meditation every Tuesday. 6 p.m.

Jazz Club 528 presents:ARNETT HAYES (Solo Piano) 5:30 p-7:30 p; BETTY SHIRLEY BAND. 8 p-12 a.m.

SAVE A DATE

T.G.I.F. (Thank Goodness It's Festival) Fundraiser Party
Thursday - April 12, 2007, 7 PM - 10 PM
Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville
Begin French Quarter Festival with a great party that sets the tone for the entire weekend. Swing your tail feathers with New Orleans' own Deacon John & The Ivories. $50 per person advance purchase; $60 per person at the door
Dress is JAZZY casual! Call for more information 504.522.5730 or visit www.fqfi.org

French Quarter Festival
April 13 - 15, 2007
Enjoy 250 hours of free entertainment featuring more than 150 musical performances on fifteen stages throughout the French Quarter over a three-day weekend. Nearly 60 food and beverage booths located in Jackson Square, Woldenberg Riverfront Park, and the U.S. Mint will make up the "World's Largest Jazz Brunch," a signature event, featuring authentic local cuisine from renowned area restaurants.

Little Red School House 5K Fun Run for the Arts
Saturday - April 14, 2007
5K Starts @ 9 AM on the corner of Bourbon and Dumaine. Registration fee is $15 if paid by April 7th, and $20 on the day of the race. Students pay $10.
Drinks, beer, food and fun will follow the race @ French Quarter Fest beginning at 11 AM! Visit  http://mcdonogh15.org/FQFi/race.htm for more information!

French Quarter Business Women's Network Charity Race
Saturday - April 21, 2007 More details to come!

Exhibition of the Vatican Mosaic Studio
Through June 1, 2007 at the Old Ursuline Convent

Thirty-seven priceless mosaics, each one a synthesis of culture and manual skills, will form the exhibition. Each represents the perfection of an art form practiced by incredibly skilled masters in the Vatican Basilica as far back as the end of the 15th century, and passed down and perfected to the present day.

2007 EVENT SCHEDULE OF THE LAFAYETTE SQUARE

April 4 - The Iguanas / Hot 8 Brass Band

April 11 - Cowboy Mouth / Track Rabbit

Apr. 18 - Irma Thomas / Jake Smith

Apr.25 - subdudes / Paul Cebar & the Milwaukeeans

May - Marcia Ball / Paul Sanchez

May 9 - The Radiators / Robert Fortune Band

May 16 - Sonny Landreth / The Bluerunners

May 23 - Terrance Simien / Amanda Shaw

May 30 - Beausoleil / Ghost Town

June 6 - Trombone Shorty & Orleans Ave / The Hons

June 13 - Walter Wolfman Washington / 101 Runners

June 20 - Bag of Donuts / The Sanchez Twins
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
VINOLA!
Thursday, May 24, 2007
3: